by Jenna Brandt
“So be it,” Henry stated as he gracefully unsheathed his own sword.
Jumping to her feet in fear, she said, “No, Henry, let us just leave! I could not stand it if something happened to you!”
“Margaret, as long as he is free, there is a chance they will come for you again. I cannot have that possibility looming over our lives. I am sorry but I must end this.”
The bandit leader crouched and started circling Henry like a wolf, looking for an opening to attack. But Henry had been trained in the military, and though he had been out of practice, he was still an expert with the sword. When the bandit leader struck, Henry was ready and quickly deflected it, swinging his sword in return. The two of them exchanged blow for blow for several seconds, with both proficiently blocking and returning thrust for thrust.
“You realize you will be surrounded at any moment. You can end this now before it is too late,” Henry offered.
“Your kind would fight unfair, using your superior numbers to overpower me and claim it a victory.”
“I am trying to spare your life for the sake of not wanting to shed blood in front of my wife. But once my men arrive, they will not hesitate to end you. That is if I do not kill you first myself.”
The bandit leader growled, “You can try,” and lunged forward at Henry, who dodged the majority of the attack, but the edge of the bandit leader’s sword tore through Henry’s shirt on his left arm.
Margaret screamed as blood began to pour from her husband’s open wound, but it did not faze Henry who, fortunately, was right-handed. Without warning, Henry skillfully pivoted around and struck at the bandit leader who was caught completely off guard, not expecting such a swift counterattack after landing a blow on his opponent.
Henry’s sword pierced the bandit leader’s chest. The man slumped forward on it, defeated.
“You think by killing me that your wife is safe? She will never be safe as long as the one who hired me still wants her—” Before he could finish his sentence, the bandit leader started choking on his own blood.
Henry grabbed him by the front of his shirt and asked with fury, “Who? Who are you talking about, and what do they want with my wife?”
But it was too late; the bandit leader was dead. Henry released him and he fell to the ground in a heap.
Margaret rushed to Henry and gently placed her hand on his arm near his wound, asking with worry, “Are you all right, Henry?”
“Yes, my love. The better question is if you are all right.” He put his good arm around her.
“They did not harm me, thanks to you getting here just in time.” Then realizing she had no idea how he had gotten there, she asked, “How did you find me? Was it Sarah? Is she all right?”
“Sarah is doing well. She is back at Brookehaven. But it was actually Charlie that saved the day. The bandits did not secure her when they took you, and they must not have realized that she had been trained to return to the stables when she was without a rider. When she came back without you, one of the stable hands came and got me immediately. We formed a small search party within minutes and came looking for you and Sarah.
“We found her pretty quickly. She was unconscious and when we got her to come to, she explained what had happened. She was even able to tell us which way they took you. Luckily, Fredrick, one of the stable hands, is an excellent tracker, and we were able to catch up to you with them unaware.”
Margaret hugged Henry tightly. “I am so glad you found me, Henry! I was so scared but somehow, after I prayed, I felt like God would help you find me before it was too late.”
Henry did not acknowledge Margaret’s reference to God but avoided it by saying: “Let us get you home so you can rest.”
“Very well, Henry. Some rest sounds heavenly. But I am still worried about what the bandit leader said before his death. Who do you think was behind this? Just before I was abducted, your uncle threatened me, even mentioned bandits in the woods specifically. Do you think he is capable of this?”
“I am not sure who did this to you, but I intend to find out and take care of whoever it is permanently.”
Chapter 21
Several days had passed since the bandits in the woods had abducted Margaret. Henry had asked her to refrain from riding until he could find and eliminate the threat against her. And although she loved riding, she had to agree that it was unsafe for her to do so until then.
Margaret spent her free time reading by the window, doing needlepoint, and going for walks in the garden.
It was Sunday and she was getting ready for church. Henry had decided to go with her for her safety. She did not argue, grateful he was willing to come at all, and hopeful the Lord would use the situation to prick his heart towards finding a relationship with God.
Catherine knocked on her door. “May I come in, Margaret? I have something to ask you.”
“Certainly. What is it you wish to ask me?”
“I want to go with you and Henry to church today. Before you argue with me and tell me Henry would not like it, I want to let you know I already broached the subject with him. He told me that if it was what I wanted, I was welcome to come along.”
A big smile crossed Margaret’s face. “I would love for you to come with us. Do you mind me asking why you want to?”
“Honestly, I have seen a huge change in you, Margaret. I do not even know if I can exactly put it into words, but you seem more peaceful and whole since you starting going to church. I thought once my brother claimed me as his sister, I would finally feel complete. But although I am content most of the time, I still feel like something is missing. I want to have what you have.”
“Oh, Catherine, I am so happy to hear that! You are going to love Reverend Fisher. He is the wisest man I have ever known, and he truly cares.” Margaret hugged her sister. “Let us go downstairs. The carriage is waiting.”
On the carriage ride to church, Margaret thought about what Catherine had said. She knew she was changing on the inside every day because of God, but it was an affirmation to hear from someone else that they could see the manifestation of her internal decisions from the outside as well. It was hard at times, and she constantly struggled between doing things the way she used to and doing them the way God would want her to, through His perfect love.
When they arrived at church, everyone was excited to see Margaret and even more surprised to see Henry and Catherine with her. Margaret noticed that the Baron and Baroness Wollingleer were not in attendance. Did that mean Henry had found out that the baron was behind her abduction?
Margaret and Catherine sat in Margaret’s normal spot just before Reverend Fisher began his sermon.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I know I discuss the attributes of love often. It is because God tells us that the most important aspect of His character is His perfect love. How transforming is it that God is willing to not only share that love with us but make it possible that we can share that love with others? We are the vessels God chooses to use to pour out his mercy and love to help others find their way to the Lord. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.”
Catherine grabbed Margaret’s hand and squeezed it tight. Margaret knew her sister-in-law was one step closer to accepting God into her heart. When she did, Margaret would have an ally in helping Henry feel God’s perfect love.
After the sermon ended, Henry pulled Margaret to the side. “Why did you not tell me about this new Reverend?”
“Why? Did you dislike his sermon?” Margaret asked, nervous that her husband was angry he attended service with her.
“On the contrary; I am rather glad I came. I never expected to hear such an enlightened sermon. I found myself intrigued, which was not how I thought this morning would go.”
“Do you want to come back with me next week?”
Henry paused for a moment, as if contemplating his decision. “I think I would like that,” Henry confessed. “Perhaps, I have been wrong in the way I have reacted to the changes happening sin
ce you started attending church again. I should be glad you are becoming a better person because of it.”
“I am grateful to hear you say that. I want nothing more than for us to make a happy marriage together, and I think the best way to do that is by having a relationship with God.”
“I am beginning to see merit in what you are saying. Although I am not totally convinced, I want to continue coming.”
Margaret’s heart filled with joy. Her husband was one step closer on his path to establishing his own relationship with the Lord.
No one had seen the Baron and Baroness Wollingleer for over two weeks. Henry told Margaret he was positive that it was his uncle who orchestrated her abduction as retaliation and most likely planned to anonymously ransom her back to him for profit.
Margaret hated that Henry was brokenhearted from his family turning on them. With their disappearance, it confirmed their guilt.
Although still weary from her ordeal, Margaret tried to return to her normal routine once Henry determined that the threat to her life was over. She was in the stables taking care of Charlie when she received a hand-delivered letter from one of the stable hands. He said a servant from Burlingler had dropped it off earlier with specific instructions that only the Lady Margaret was to receive it.
She opened it and read the contents:
Countess of Renwick,
It is urgent that you see me at once. I have information about your husband that would prove devastating to your whole family. Come this evening to Burlingler Estate alone around six o’clock and I will give you the information. If you do not come, then the information will be released to the newspapers. The choice is yours.
The Duke of Witherton
She folded the letter and replaced it in the envelope as she thought about the message. Her intuition told her it was a trap of some sort, but she did not want to take the risk that it was true. She had to follow through and make sure that whatever it was he had dug up on Henry did not get released.
It was possible that he had found out about how Henry “owned” several of the nobles in their county and planned to release the list of names, or worse yet, he had found out about Catherine’s true illegitimacy and planned to make that information public. If that information got out, it would ruin them all. She could not be a part of destroying Henry, so she knew she had to meet the duke to keep him from hurting her family. If there was any part of him that still loved her, perhaps she could convince him not to release whatever information he had concerning her husband.
Margaret secretly left the house, taking Charlie as quickly and quietly as possible. She wanted this to be over, and she knew that the sooner she got there, the better.
As she found herself knocking on the door to Richard’s estate, she could not believe that she was there. He was Henry’s most bitter enemy and her almost-lover. He was a danger to her honor, and yet there she stood like a lamb at the entrance to a wolf’s den.
Richard’s butler opened the door, saying, “Welcome, Countess. I will tell His Grace that you have arrived.”
The cold air rushed across her face as she stood outside. Her cape twisted around her, being pulled in numerous directions, as was her heart.
Richard’s butler ushered Margaret in and escorted her to the library. Then he left the room without another word.
Irritably, Margaret tapped her foot on the floor as she stared at the doors, expecting Richard to enter through them any moment. What was keeping him? She did not have the patience for this.
She went over to the bar and poured herself a glass of water. She knew it was rude, but she did not care. His butler was rude for not offering her a drink in the first place, and Richard was rude for not training his butler to do so.
Taking a swig, she felt the cool sensation as it went down. She finished off the contents and poured herself another glass. She was about to take another swallow when the door opened and Richard stepped through, shutting it behind him.
She eyed him skeptically for several seconds before asking, “What does this concern?”
He smiled with self-satisfaction. “Patience, my dear. Everything will reveal itself in time.”
Margaret sat the glass down on the edge of the bar. “Will you please get to the point of why you summoned me here?”
Like a slithering snake, he moved sinuously over to where she stood. “I needed to see you, and I knew what I said in the letter would make you come.”
He stared at her for several seconds before reaching out and touching the side of her face.
Instinctively, she flinched and pulled away.
“So, it is to be like that? I feared that this would not be pleasant.”
He went to kiss her and she moved her head to the side, asking, “What are you trying to do, Richard?”
He gave her a sinister smile. “My dear, it is really all your fault it has come to this. I offered you an honorable way out. You could have married me, but you chose to marry him instead. I tried to convince you to be with me, I even planned your abduction, framed Baron Wollingleer for it, and then paid him to leave town quietly to make sure no one found out. I had hoped to rescue you and win you back, but your idiot of a husband beat me to it.”
As she looked at him, Margaret realized the horrifying truth. Voicing her suspicions, she yelled, “You have something planned to destroy my husband.” Then another realization struck her as she added in a defeated tone, “You never loved me. You only used me to get at Henry. Every dance, every word, every kiss was part of your plot to ruin Henry.” She slumped forward and shook her head in self-disgust. “And I fell for it.”
“You saw what you wanted to see, and I did genuinely find you attractive. I even grew to have feelings for you, but yes, it was all part of my plan to destroy the Viscount Rolantry.”
“What devious plot have you set in motion tonight in order to ensnare Henry?” Margaret asked, defensively.
“Henry. It is always about Henry with you these days,” he spat as he leaned in closer. She could smell the overwhelming scent of alcohol on his breath and realized she was in a very dangerous situation, as it was quite apparent that he was intoxicated.
Margaret tried to step away, but he grabbed her arms and yanked her hard against him.
“I hate the Viscount Rolantry! I hate him for stealing my rank and position when we were in the military, for stealing you, but most of all, I hate him for always acting as if he deserves all those things.”
He leaned in close to her and continued spewing his venomous spite. “It makes me sick the way everyone looks up to him. He is a lowly viscount who consorts with bastards and peasants. He does not even deserve to be part of the nobility.”
Narrowing her eyes and pulling free of his grasp, she stepped a few feet back and said, “Do not insult my husband in my presence, sir! I did not come here for you to take those kind of liberties.” She started to move around him while saying, “I do not know what kind of game you are playing, but I will be taking my leave, Your Grace.”
The duke grabbed her, slamming her against the bookshelf and knocking the air out of her.
“I think not. I will take all the liberties I please, and I will take much more than I already have.”
With that, his mouth came down on hers, hard and cruel. She tried to twist away from him, but he held her firmly against the bookshelf.
“Stop this,” Margaret choked out. “Let me go!”
She fought against him, but he was so much stronger. Panic began to take hold as she realized she could not get free. It was at that most awful moment when Henry walked into the room.
Henry took in the picture of his scared wife being held against her will by his worst enemy, and a look of pure fury crossed his face unlike anything Margaret had ever seen. She recoiled in humiliation, realizing how disgraceful she must look.
The duke smirked and said in a victorious tone, “Welcome, Viscount Rolantry. You were a little earlier than I had hoped, but I told you that it would be worth yo
ur time if you came.”
Clenching his fists at his side, Henry said, “Take your hands off my wife!”
Richard’s eyes gleamed with smug triumph. “I want you to realize that all this time you thought she has been with you, she really has been thinking of me.”
Margaret darted away from Richard and clamored to her husband’s side. Grabbing at the front of Henry’s shirt, she appealed, “He’s lying. He tricked me into coming here, Henry! I came here to defend you and he attacked me! If you had not entered when you did, I have no doubt he would have ruined me.”
Wrapping his arm around Margaret in a protective manner, Henry looked down at her and said in a comforting tone, “He’s lucky it didn’t get that far, because if it had, I would have killed him on the spot.” Turning his steely gaze towards the duke, he stated, “As for you, your deception has not worked. I know what I have with my wife, and she would never destroy it to be with you.”
As Henry turned to guide Margaret out of the room, she heard the duke shout after them, “This isn’t over. I will get want I want, one way or another.”
“Thank you,” Margaret whispered against Henry’s shoulder.
Looking over at her, Henry asked, “For what?”
“For believing in me.”
“I will always believe in you, Margaret. I love you.”
His unconditional love swept over her, prodding her to admit what she had been feeling for months. “I should have said this a long time ago; I love you, too, Henry. More than I ever thought possible.”
Stopping just outside his carriage, Henry momentarily told one of the footman to gather up Charlie and return her to Brookhaven. Then he helped Margaret up into the carriage and took a seat next to her.
Remembering the letter the duke had sent, she pulled it free from her pocket and handed it to Henry. “This is what he sent me to trick me into coming here. I thought he had information about the people who were indebted to you, or even worse, about Catherine’s parentage. He also admitted he was behind my kidnapping.”
